1. First Meeting

Alexis POV

I stood at the top hill, just by the withering tree, it leaves were falling to the ground, some of it was carried down the hill by the gentle wind that breeze through in the atmosphere,

The leaves were of different colors, some were light green, some were yellow, some were red and some were orange,

From the top of the hill, when I looked down, I saw many other trees who also had leaves of different colors,

At that point, I thought that was the most beautiful scenery I'd seen, but so was the one I saw when I looked above the hill,

I saw my best friend and the love of my life kissing my identical twin sister so passionately as they held on to each other like their lives depended on it, you could easily feel the romantic air around them, it was so beautiful it broke my heart my heart into million pieces,

I know I should be happy for them, but I just can't wrap my head around the fact that I lost him, and maybe for good this time.

I always want to move higher, higher to the the exact top of the hill, where they were, but I am scared of heights, I've always had this fear of falling, and he was always so high and maybe that's why I wasn't able to reach him,

Up high, it so beautiful, so exotic and is filled with so much nostalgia, but when you fall, you fall so hard you hit rock bottom and you will never be able to stand again.

My mind was filled with thoughts, as I looked at them with my eyes as red as red can be, because I was trying to hard to hold back the years that filled my eyes,

"Ah… This is gonna be a Hassel for me" I thought as I tried to rub my eyes attempting to make the redness disappear, but I knew that was a pointless move, if anything, I was just gonna make it worse,

But at least, if I'm asked why my eyes are so red, I'll just tell them I rubbed it too much, that won't exactly be calling lying right?

"Hey! Alexis come up here, I promise you it's safe, I'm here"

As I heard his voice calling out to me, I jolted at the sound of it, even though he yelled, it still sounded assuring, just like the way it did back then. I was tempted to go up but when I saw my identical twin sister standing beside him , she crossed her hands in his, clinging on to him like it was nothing.

I always thought she was the most ambitious person I'd ever see, she was always such a goal getter and such a person was my rival, not just in love interest, but in every other things, the heir to the company, our parents favor, who was more popular between the two of us,

But at the end of the day, if felt more like she was in my Shadow trying so hard to to escape it, but she just couldn't break free from it, though it seems like she got to Melvin first, even though I've been with him the longest.

I still remember it like it happened just yesterday, it's plain as day in my memory, the first time I saw Melvin Cross, the love of my life;

I was a three year old kid who just got lost,I wandered the streets of California for days, I had just arrived there from Seoul, where I lived with my Asian Mother, I had never seen my father and I didn't even know I had a twin sister and my Mother's face I could barely remember,

I was just a three-years old kid, lost, scared and hungry as I have been wandering the streets for three days, I was so hungry I thought I was gonna die soon, all I had on me was a locket necklace, which I remember my mother telling me not to loose it, I cried and cried, but for some reason, when people approached me, I would up my guard against them, they just looked so scary to me so I would try to bite them or runaway from them if they came closer to me.

Then on the third day, I had lost all strength to cry or to run, I couldn't see clearly as I walked, then I stumbled upon a man, he was very tall, he had brown colored hair, light brown eyes, he's skin was white and he was dressed in a black pair of pants and blue shirt, his shirt had white buttons aligned at it's middle, and at the collar of his shirt, in between was another narrow, stiff upright white collar which was called the clerical collar, and his clothing was complemented by a pair black shoes, that was so shiny.

I later on learned that he was called a priest or a Reverend Father, this priest carried me in his arms, he looked at me with eyes full of pity and concern although I hated the way he looked at me with pity, but I had no ounce of strength left in me to break free from him, and all the more, he didn't look so scary.

Then he said to me, "child, how did you end up like this, you don't look like you're from around here"

I would have replied him, but I was too tired and weak to talk, he noticed this and immediately, he left the people he was walking with and took me to a large house that had structures like one of those houses in England or London or something like to that,

As we approached the house, I wasn't able to see what was written at the top of the large black gate, which signifies the entrance to the house, but I was just so weak my body went to sleep on it on accord,

Immediately my eyes shut, I could hear the priest yelling at me trying to wake me up, as he was panicking, but I wasn't able to hear exactly what he had said, it sounded all bulry to me.

Then when I woke up, I was in an room, that some what looked like a hospital, a drip line was attached to my had,

“How did I get here” I mumble.

Racking my brain for answers, that's when I recalled the priest who carried me, soon I felt a sharp headache, forcing me to reach for head, rubbing it with my little palm.

It was so painful, it led to my of anxity -which I thought faded the second the priest came to my refuge- had accumulated once.

For loosing my way, being separated from my mother, the fear, the anxiety and the uneasiness I felt it, all combined together with the excruciating pain I felt in my head, I burst into tears and couldn't hold back my voice.

All the adults there tried to calm me down, they tried to stop me from crying, there was even a nice lady who patted my head, gave me candy, she spoke to me with a voice that was as sweet and as soft as the whistling wind.

"Baby boy, stop crying, there are no monsters here, big sis is going to protect you forever, I'm always here"

But that didn't work, I didn't feel safe at all, whenever I remembered my mom wasn't with me, I'd feel scared and lonely all over again and those feelings made my tears rush out even more.

Then, on the bed beside me, was a boy who got up from it, he looked like he had just woken up from a nap, and that was probably caused by my loud crying,

Then he turned around to face me, the boy had light brown curly hair -almost blonde-, deep blue eyes though he wore glasses, and he looked like he was older than me probably by just two years; he came down from his bed and walked straight to mine.

When he was finally in front of me, he reached out his hand and placed it on my wavy black hair, looked deep into my eyes, as he looked at me, his eyes looked as if the could see into my very soul, I was fascinated by it's color;

"You are a pretty boy aren't you, don't ruin your face with all those tears and snort"

He said, giving me a bright smile that felt so warm, my eyes were blinded it, and at that point, I stop crying,

All I thought was, "he's handsome" even though I don't really know what that word meant at that time, all I knew was that he just looked so good.

His smile made me feel comforted and safer, and before I could realize myself, I asked him

"What is your name Hyu- big brother"

The way the boy looked at me, after he heard me , was as if he was enthralled by a person or an item, the look in his eyes were so soft and warm but still, it was intense and I fell into a daze,

"My name is Melvin Cross and don't call me big brother, we might even be the same age, come on, tell me what's your name… and how old are you"

He replied me politely,

"I'm called Alexis Zander and I am three years old" I replied him, still in a daze, I wasn't able to remove my gaze from his eyes

"Well if it's that case then, I am older than you…buut.. still… don't call me big brother, it sounds too formal…. just call me Melvin or Mel or Vin whichever you like" Melvin said while he laughed a little.

As he laughed, I laughed as well even though I didn't know why, his laughter made me laugh too.

"Okay…then I'll call you whatever you like" I replied him, but I think I made it sound like a proposal,

Melvin took a long stare at me, as if he was scanning me from head to toe, I felt awkward, the way he was looking at me made me feel judgemental about myself.

Unknownly, I started to ask myself if I was clean or cute enough, I started to worry about how I appeared before him and wished I could see myself in a mirror right then.

But Melvin just stood there, staring at me, observing as I was fidgeting and worrying about what was on his mind and what he thought about me.

Then he looked me in the eye once again and said "okay…you do just that” he placed his hand on my hand and gave me his warm smile again ,

But this time, I felt so comfortable I smiled back at him, and I remember his face looking like he had seen something he never saw before, he looked surprise and overwhelmed, thinking back I wish I knew what that look meant.

And I remember, while we were talking, I heard some gossip between the women in the room, they said something about Zander Corporation, My father's company,

I think it was that gossip that started this life of pepetual competition I live now;

I was still lost in my thoughts as I distantly stared at the top of the hill, looking at Melvin who is now an eighteen years old guy, 6'1 feet tall, clear White skin, a little muscular build body, diamond shaped head a high bridge nose of just the right size with partial lips as red as blood,

He still has his curly hair, deep blue eyes that could see through you and he still wears glasses , even though I think he will definitely look way better without those glasses, he's still as handsome as ever, at least, hot enough to catch my princess of a sister.

Then my eyes shifted to my twin sister, who is right beside him clinging to him like as if he was her purse, I hated the sight of it.

She looks exactly like me, all the way from the wavy pure black hair, to the sky blue eyes shaped like that of a cat with long eyelashes, to the straight high nose, to the heart shaped head even the slim and skinny body type always looking like we don't eat well despite how rich our father is.

And I shared everything with her, there was no way to differentiate us, she wanted everything I wanted and it was always given to her, I never objected,

But now, she wants the person I've always been in love with, the one thing I always wanted and I don't know if I can be able to release him to her,

He is my sunrise and my sunset, I just haven't been able to let him know yet, though Alexia might not be the best sister, still I love her because she is my other half

But for how long will I be able to endure all this, till they get married, they give birth to kids or untill I become a grand uncle, for how long.

"Why did it have to be him of all people".